Kerry Insults Troops.

I can't disagree with any of that. It's all so self-evident.

I would really welcome the opinion of an honest, well-informed and rational War-Supporter.

But sadly that apparently doesn't exist on ET.


Suxx for America

 

I think Kerry has apologized for the "botched joke". Time for the klansmen to find another excuse to try and work up their bigot supporters.

 

'Kerry botched a joke, they botched a war'
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I honestly can't remember a more inane manufactured controversy than this one.

President Bush last night accused Sen. John F. Kerry of disparaging U.S. troops in Iraq, echoing the 2004 strategy of ridiculing the Massachusetts senator to raise anew questions about Democratic leaders and their commitment to the troops. The highly coordinated White House effort came as Republicans sought to shift the focus away from an unpopular war and GOP scandals that are putting their congressional majorities at risk. […]

Yesterday, Bush, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the American Legion and many GOP candidates pounced on the comment from the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee to accuse him of insulting U.S. troops. The president said Kerry owes service members an apology — echoing a parade of prominent Republicans who criticized the Massachusetts Democrat throughout the day.

After reading Kerry's comments to a GOP audience in Georgia, Bush said Kerry's statement was "insulting and it is shameful. The members of the United States military are plenty smart and they are plenty brave, and the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology." The White House tipped off the networks to when Bush would attack Kerry, so the comments could be carried live and make the evening news. (emphasis added)

I suppose I should give the Bush gang credit. They can't govern, they can't tell the truth, they can't fight a war, they can't write a coherent budget, they can't respond to a disaster, and they can't keep the nation safe, but they sure as hell know how to coordinate a media smear of a war hero. Kudos to Rove & Co. — we've found your one skill.

How ridiculous is this? Matthew Dowd, the pollster/strategist for the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign, told MSNBC's Chris Matthews that Kerry "just misspoke" and "in no way" did he think Kerry intended to insult U.S. troops. Moreover, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), whom no one would describe as a moderate, said on Hardball, "Well, of course, this is a perfect example of politics in America … The President wants the people to perceive [Kerry] of having maligned our troops…. I think John Kerry's right. He's making a defense of himself. He's saying, 'Look, I was not maligning the troops, I was maligning the President of the United States.'"

James Carville summarized this nicely: "Kerry botched a joke, they botched a war."

There's no great mystery here. Kerry misspoke and said something he didn't mean. But Republicans, desperate and without an agenda or vision for the future, have nothing else to say. The Bush gang, and their allies, literally want to create a massive political scandal out of a comment that didn't make any sense, and which Kerry didn't even mean to say.

Worse, the news networks treated this as if Kerry had shot a man. CNN and MSNBC devoted hours of coverage to a mistaken comment, apparently egged on by a White House which is so ashamed of its own record, it prefers to devote its energy to a verbal miscue of a man who isn't even on the ballot this year. One gets the distinct impression that the media is overcompensating — after weeks of bad news (actual bad news) for the GOP, news outlets are treating the Kerry slip as a huge deal. All in the name of "balance."

If merit dictated news coverage, what, exactly, is the story here? A senator flubbed a joke while criticizing the president, then explained what he actually meant. It's worth about two paragraphs at the bottom of an AP round-up of election coverage. Instead, the White House manufactured a scandal where none existed.

James at the Swing State Project had exactly the right idea last night.

If the GOP wants to play that game, fine. Remember this nugget, from an August 2004 Bush speech? "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

Everyone had a big laugh over Bush's verbal gaffe two years ago. Did you see John Kerry and the Democratic Party issuing press releases calling on Bush to cease his treasonous war against the citizens of the United States of America? No, because to do so would be completely ridiculous. Just as ridiculous as the sanctimonious, dishonest drivel that Tony Snow and George Bush are trying to feed into the media narrative tonight.

Excellent analogy. Imagine if Dems played by GOP rules. Bush accidentally says that his administration "never stops thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people." Immediately, CNN and MSNBC show "Breaking News" updates about the president's admitted desire to hurt Americans. Bush said so himself! He can't deny it; we have the video of him confessing his own commitment to harm the United States! It must be true! When will Republicans publicly repudiate the traitorous president? How can he be trusted ever again? Why does Bush hate America?

Of course it's absurd, and yet, we saw a media firestorm yesterday that made just as much sense.



http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/8925.html

 

"HIS AMBITION HAS MADE HIM A COWARD." I like how you put that, Charlie. I know that ambition corrupts, and absolute ambition corrupts absolutely, but I'm still a bit shocked and awed at the depths to which McCain has dropped. Put aside his faux-ideological independence, his disheartening ability to pass off traditional conservatism as modern centrism. The one thing McCain always retained, and always seemed serious about, was an elevated expectation for politics. He seemed to believe that campaigns should be about something more than decontextualized votes and misleading attacks. He'd intervene even when the negative ad, judged by the standards such things are judged, was an average attack. He bristled to see the patriotism impugned or character attacked. That was his virtue: He convinced the country that he was above politics by, at times, being above politics. And yet here he is, doing all the worse, and he must knows it.

It's hard to look at this situation and not pity John Kerry. JK is, by all accounts, a good man, a thoughtful man, a decent man, but one who is singularly incapable of thriving in the soundbite era. His mistake is easy enough to understand, if only because no candidate with an eye towards 2008 would dare suggest our troops are anything but ubermenschen with Mensa memberships. And it's easy enough to understand why the right jumped on it -- they are desperate, bloodthirsty, and base. But McCain, who knows both the intent of his ambitious friend's comment and the agony its misinterpretation is surely causing him, would have once intervened to ensure a good man is not brought low by this sort of meaningless bullshit. Today, he will be the the hack with the knife. I hope it's worth it for him. I can't imagine it will be.

--Ezra Klein


http://www.prospect.org/weblog/2006/11/post_1838.html#014259

 

You don't read do you? Here's a clue: Google "Kerry remark" and "college student." Another clue: look up "Pasadena City College."

They attack Kerry not knowing even where and when he made the remark. Only the clueless think the remark was meant to be an insult to the troops. Those idiots are voting for the Republicans anyway.

 

How smart is a guy campaigning in California for a lost cause Governors' race to slip and reveal his true thoughts and those of his party a few days before a crucial election. No wonder he was such a D- student in college, such a do nothng senator, and fantastic presidential candidate to run against. And he calls the US troops dumb.

 

Yup, if he were smart he would have gotten 5 deferments like chickenhawk Cheney or would have gotten daddy to pull strings to get him into National Guard like Bushboy...

 

"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people - and neither do we."

Bush's gaffe revealed his true thoughts and those of his party. Has he apologized?

 

_______________________________________________

You seem to know a lot about deferments. Freudian slip?

Or to the left of a chickenhawk is a chickenchicken.

 

You can't defend Cheney the Chickenhawk, and Bush the draft evader...

So what do you do?

Attack the messenger....